Revelation
by Private Fire
Summary: Katara's reminiscing and dreams of Aang lead her to a startling revelation. Takes place after Korra's kidnapping ordeal is over.


A/N:

Pure **speculation** on my part. But what if I am right? Hmm?

Alas, I do not own Korra either.

* * *

**Revelation **

The radio was playing in the background as Katara poured herself a piping hot cup of her favorite tea, an original blend created by Iroh many, many years ago. She eased herself into her favorite chair and thought about family and friends now gone. It was just her and Zuko now. She thought about how tired he seemed the last time she saw him. He was healing slowly over the loss of Mai. Katara knew what that loss was like. When she lost Aang, she not only lost her husband, but her best friend, her lifelong companion, and her confidant as well.

She cut off that line of thinking and focused on the music. She rarely allowed herself to slip into melancholy, but recent events surrounding Korra seemed to have brought on memories of loss. They could have lost Korra and the Avatar cycle would have begun again.

As much as she tried to fight it, the lure too great and her thoughts turned to losing Aang. It had been seventeen years since he had passed into the Spirit World. The hurt was still there, only duller. Katara was fine for the most part. She had healed enough to go on with her life. She had her children, grandchildren and Korra to look after. She reasoned it was only natural to think about those who have passed now that she was getting closer to her time.

_Aang. _

His name alone brought back a flood of memories. She nursed the tea and allowed it to warm and soothe her, like a healing tonic which promised to alleviate her of all wounds and pains. She finished her tea and had started to doze off when the newsflash came on.

.-***-.

_We interrupt our regularly scheduled program to bring you a special news bulletin. _

_This morning, outside the city limits of Republic City, Councilman Tarrlok, discovered to be the son of the city's one-time underground crime boss Yakone, was found disorientated and placed under arrest for the kidnapping of Avatar Korra. _

_The Avatar had been kidnapped following a messy confrontation with Tarrlok at City Hall earlier this week. Now back at Air Temple Island, Avatar Korra has confirmed that Tarrlok, a bloodbender like his father, had a run-in with Amon and that his bending has been permanently stripped from him. _

_The kidnapping, originally thought to be the work of the Equalists, was staged by Tarrlok in an effort to throw police off his trail. . . . _

.-***-.

Bits and pieces of the newscast penetrated Katara's drowsiness.

_Bloodbender. Korra. Avatar. _

"Aang."

His name slipped from her lips as she drifted off to sleep to dream of him.

It was a vivid dream filled with golds, yellows, and blues which were indescribably crisp. Sounds of laughter surrounded her. She was smiling ear to ear while she watched her husband of twenty four years run circles around their youngest on an air scooter. Aang was young, tall, handsome and still a bit goofy. She loved that despite all he had been through since she first met him; he had managed to retain an innocent optimism about him.

The dream dissolved into another scene. They were walking together, laughing and holding hands. It was a stolen moment just after their wedding. They left family and friends behind during another one of Sokka's speeches to be alone together. The stars were shining like brilliant gems hung out to decorate the heavens in honor of their union. Neither spoke. They turned to each other, eyes bright and full of love. They closed the distance between them and kissed.

They broke apart. She felt the heat of blush coloring her cheeks. It was the day of the invasion. The air was filled with anticipation. He had taken her by surprise and kissed her. It was nice. It was confusing. A moment later Aang took off into the air on his new glider.

She blinked. He was in the air, his eyes and tattoos glowing brightly. As she watched, the mixture of hope and admiration she felt gave way to terror. Lightning struck him. Aang fell. Iroh provided cover as she held Aang and waterbended their way out of the Crystal Catacombs. Once safely on Appa, she used the water from the Spirit Oasis. In that moment between hope and despair, the span of a breath, she grieved for Aang. Azula's lightning had killed him.

Katara awoke with a start.

_Aang! He's dead. Aang is really dead. _

_Wait. The water from the Spirit Oasis brought him back._

Her confusion lasted a few moments. She took in her surroundings and remembered. It was two different times, two different places. In the end it did not matter because it did not change anything. Aang was really dead. The pain of loss settled upon her again. Though it had grown duller over the years, it was still there burning a hole in her spirit.

.

Katara left her home to escape the feeling of walls closing in on her. She knew she had to fight it. Succumbing to it would only pull her into a hole of depression. She had thought, that after all these years, she had put moments like this behind her. She was surprise to find herself back at square one. Again she thought of Zuko. He would still be going through this. It was no wonder that he took to traveling the world as an unofficial ambassador for peace. The Fire Nation palace, no matter how big, held memories of Mai and ultimately would prove claustrophobic.

For Katara it was different. She could not escape Aang. He was everywhere. They had travelled the world together in all seasons. At home or abroad, Aang was there. He was the very breath she took, the wind through her hair, the breeze that lingered on her cheek. He was there when she looked at Korra. Though there was nothing about Korra that screamed Aang, he was still there. He was a part of her just as Roku was a part of him.

Not for the first time, Katara felt a bit of disappointment that Korra did not commune with her past Avatars as Aang had done. On some level, Katara fantasized that she would be able to speak to Aang, even if it would be in a roundabout way through Korra.

Katara sighed heavily; the action reminded her of Mai which left her feeling wistful again. However, she was rescued by the caress of a gentle wind. She closed her eyes, swayed into it and imagined it was Aang reaching out to her.

"Oh Aang. I think I am finally feeling my age. It's a race now between me and Zuko." She chuckled. "What a morbid thought! What am I coming to?"

"Talking to yourself is a sign that you are either too old or too lonely. In your case I'd say it is a little of both."

Katara jumped as her eyes snapped open.

"Kara, you gave me a start!"

Kara laughed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. Seriously though, are you okay?"

"For the most part."

Kara, a transplant from the Northern Water Tribe, was older than Katara and a widow herself. She looked at her friend closely and could easily guess why Katara was out in the cold instead of secure in her home.

"Come. Let's have some tea and we'll talk about it."

Katara smiled gratefully. She never felt the weight of being her family's and tribe's matriarch so much as when she was relieved of it by her friend. Kara had played mother and therapist to her when Aang had passed away and when she felt most burdened. Talking to her came easily and would often ease her troubles and worries. She readily accepted the invitation.

.

Much later, Katara returned home in better spirits. Night had fallen. She went to bed thinking of bedrolls and camping under the stars.

She began to dream again. This time the dream started at the Crystal Catacombs. She was holding Aang's lifeless body in her arms. Tears flowed freely from her eyes and blurred her vision.

When it came back to focus, Aang was no longer twelve years old, but sixty-six. Her husband was gone; his spirit had passed into the Spirit World. His lifespan was cut short by the toll his hundred-year hibernation had taken on him. The thought had come to her as he took his last breath: the new Avatar, a waterbender, is born somewhere in the Water Tribes.

The scene changed abruptly. She was fourteen again and Aang, twelve, was dead in her arms. The same thought came to her, but it had to be wrong. Aang lived. _No. He died,_ her dream self remembered. _Aang __**did**__ die, and a new Avatar, a waterbender, was born somewhere in the Water Tribes. _

Panic rose slowly as she absorbed the implication of the thought.

_A waterbender, twelve years younger than Aang, his successor before Korra, was out there. Could it really be possible? Azula killed Aang. He was dead, even if it was only for a short period of time, he had died. _

_The child, Aang's successor, would've grown up without the knowledge of being the Avatar, and without the support it garnered. _

Within her dream, her heart raced. Her eyes shut tightly as if to ward off the thought, and still she could not stop it from coming.

_Amon. _

_Could it be that an Avatar was born in either Water Tribe all those years ago? Could it be that he learned on his own how bend, specifically how to spiritbend? If so, it would explain how he could rip a person's bending from them. _

_The radio said something about bloodbending. If Amon went up against a bloodbender, he would have been powerless to stop him. Even Aang fell victim to Yakone's bloodbending. If it weren't for the Avatar State, Aang would have been powerless to stop Yakone. Only a bloodbender could go up against a bloodbender. If I am correct, then Amon is not only a waterbender, but also a bloodbender. _

Her agitation grew till she could bear no more.

She awoke screaming, "No!" Her heart was racing. Perspiration caused her gown to stick to her back.

_Think Katara. Think. Remember your dream. Don't let it slip away. _

Fragments came back to her. She managed to retain enough from her dream to put it together. It was bad. It was really bad. If she was right, then Korra would eventually have to go up against another "avatar," the "interim avatar."

She jumped out of bed and rushed to the adjoining room. She went for the phone and asked to be connected to Councilman Tenzin on Air Temple Island. When the connection could not be made, she asked for the next best thing.

"Hello Lin? It's Katara. I may be wrong, but there is something I have to tell you. There is something you need to know about Aang."

* * *

A/N:

That's all she wrote, folks.

Many thanks to Alabaster86 for her valuable input! References to Zuko are inspired from Alabaster's "Nothing is the Same Anymore."

Please review. I greatly appreciate hearing from you.

Thank you!


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